State Gathers Access Data On Beaches

July 3, 1986|By Robin Benedick of The Sentinel Staff

DAYTONA BEACH — Two members of the Volusia County Council accompanied three aides to the state Cabinet and an attorney on a tour of the beach from Ponce Inlet to Ormond Beach Wednesday to gather information on beach access.

They were invited for the three-hour jaunt by Millie Armstrong, a Daytona Beach Shores resident and chairman of CAR (Car Access Rights), a group that claims 300 members.

Armstrong has asked to address the Cabinet this summer on the need for legislation to guarantee beach access.

''We want legislation that would get control of the beaches away from the cities that are taking the beaches away from the public,'' Armstrong said.

The Daytona Beach Shores City Council is considering a proposal to ban cars on the beach by spring. Daytona Beach Shores and Ormond Beach already have traffic-free zones.

Armstrong said she supports a proposal before the county's charter review commission that would give the county control of the 44 miles of beach. If approved by the 11-member commission, the proposal to amend the charter could go to voters this fall.

County council Chairman Jerry Doliner said he welcomed the Tallahassee entourage and hoped it would ''see what our problems are with beach erosion and the lack of money for replenishment programs.'' Council member Frank Bruno also went on the tour.

Cabinet representative Jere Moore called the tour an ''information gathering session'' to determine whether Armstrong should speak to the Cabinet. ''Before we take the matter to the governor's Cabinet, we need to know exactly what the problems are,'' he said.